Transcript

1.
Intelligence and Social MediaLt Col Jason M. Brown, USAF

2.
DisclaimerThis briefing will discuss how the Intelligence Community uses social media for collaborationThese views are my own and may not represent those of the USAF, DoD, the Intelligence Community (IC), or my chain of commandThis briefing is UNCLASSIFIED

3.
The Flat, Networked, New World “We are living in the middle of a remarkable increase in our ability to share, to cooperate with one another, and to take collective action, all outside the framework of traditional institutions and organizations.” - Clay Shirky, Here Comes Everybody

4.
BackgroundThe direct connection between stateside analysts and forward-deployed troops has made significant contributions to battlefield successes in the last several yearsSocial media has played a big role in removing obstacles for analysts to share ideas and collaborate directly with others outside their organization“Military Taps Social Networking Skills”- NYT 7 June 2010Warfighting is no longer a matter of geography…it’s a mentality.

5.
Socially-Networked WarfightersIntelligence analysts and consumers are developing meaningful relationships using social media and other ITEnables analysts to become problem-centric rather than source-centricThe “network” has become as valuable, if not more, than the sources"This flag was flown over Khan Neshin Castle, Rig District, Helmand Province, Afghanistan on 5 May 2010 in honor of the DGS-2 crew by the Marines of 4th Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion." Young Marines thanking young Airmen, whom they’ve never met (but are all Facebook friends by now)

6.
IC Social Media ProgramsA-Space (Analytic Space)“Facebook for Spies” - CNNVirtual work environment that allows IC analysts to connect and collaborateeChirpMicroblogging platform similar to TwitterSituational awareness, alerts to breaking events, and time dominant collaborationIntellipediaWiki used by the Intelligence, Defense, Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, and Diplomatic CommunitieseChirp

8.
Intelligence TransformationFromToFinished Intelligence Living IntelligenceCoordinating CollaboratingNeed to Know Need to ShareRequirements-focus Mission-focusProduction Problem-SolvingSingle-sourced Crowd-sourcedSocial Media and associated IT are critical enablers to the IC transformation

9.
ChallengesAnalyst, operator, and consumer communities of interest are still primarily using social media 1.0 (IRC) to interactMultiple networks with different classification levels are roadblocksMany analysts using SM regard themselves as isolated adventurers in hostile terrainSM use challenges linear processes and established business practicesOrganizational “branding” is still pervasivemIRC – First Gen Social Media

10.
Social Networking and Disaster ReliefConversation with my all-source analysts after receiving word we would execute the first RQ-4 Global Hawk mission over Haiti…Me: “You all need to reach out directly to the folks who will need support from this first Global Hawk mission.” SrACherry: “We’ve already done that, Sir. We have over 700 ad hoc imagery requests lined up.” (50 is normal for a mission)Me: “Where did you find 700 ad hocs????”SrA Cherry: “Well, Sir, we chatted with some folks at AMC, the MEU, the Embassy, State Dept, the Navy, the airborne unit who’s heading there, the Coast Guard, AFSOC, my dad who works at USAID…oh and all the analysts here, of course.”

14.
APAN: CollaborationSacre Coeur hospital, fully staffed and waiting for patients, posted it had additional capacity. JTF Haiti immediately sent 250 patients and medivac flightsAllowed NGOs to coordinate movement of supplies and personnel into HaitiInformed U.S. forces of food/water needs at relief camps and surrounding areasGuided search and rescue efforts to Caribbean Market based on SMS messages from trapped citizens to users who posted request for help

The upside – great resource for IC to contribute & receive HA/DR intel

The downside – denial of service, unreliable sources & infiltrators

17.
Lessons from Disaster Relief 2.0Recent crises have demonstrated how mobile technology and social media enable private citizens and organizations to effectively collect, analyze, and fuse open-source intelligence “Every Soldier a Sensor” to “Every Citizen a Sensor”Data that is unreliable, especially in life-and-death situations, is often worse than no data at all

How will intelligence organizations learn from and/or integrate into this new reality?

The Challenge: Leading the NetworkIt Takes a Network: The New Frontline of Modern Warfare“As we learned to build an effective network, we also learned that leading that network -- a diverse collection of organizations, personalities, and cultures -- is a daunting challenge in itself. That struggle remains a vital, untold chapter of the history of a global conflict that is still under way. “